Chapter 592 - 592: The Leader Must Be Zhao Yuan

"Yes," the Bone Woman replied. After the fierce battle, she was extremely weak and covered in wounds. She immediately followed Zhao Yuan's command to continue circulating the White Bone Withering and Flourishing Technique, healing her injuries and recovering her Demon Qi.

After leaving the reception hall and finding the others, Zhao Yuan saw several of the villa's servants lying unconscious on the ground.

Elder Shan had already given them a preliminary examination. "Their lives aren't in danger," he said. "They were just knocked unconscious by the Ant Thieves using a Secret Technique."

Hearing that their lives were out of danger, Yue Tianchi let out a long sigh of relief. He then said through gritted teeth, "Those Ant Thieves are truly cunning. They must have done their research. They knew that as a Cultivator from the Tripod Cuisine School, I have an extremely keen sense of smell. That's why they didn't rashly kill anyone. Otherwise, I would've definitely noticed something and we wouldn't have been caught so off guard!"

"What does that have to do with a keen sense of smell?" Cheng Haoyu asked, confused.

"Of course, it does," Yue Tianchi said. "The living and the dead have different scents. You may not be able to tell the difference, but we Cultivators of the Tripod Cuisine School are extremely sensitive to smells. The moment someone died in this villa, I would have smelled it immediately!"

Hao Li nodded in agreement. "Elder Yue is right. Cultivators from the Tripod Cuisine School do indeed have a superior sense of smell and can tell if someone has died. I can do it too, but my Cultivation is still shallow, so my range is limited. However, Elder Yue's strength has already reached the Late Stage Qi Listening Realm. I don't doubt for a second that he can smell any change in scent throughout the entire villa."

"I see." Understanding dawned on the group.

While Zhao Yuan, Elder Shan, and Shan Han were busy waking the unconscious servants, Yue Tianchi and Ying Ji went to dispose of the Ant Thieves' bodies.

With Ying Ji present, the task of destroying the bodies and erasing all traces wasn't difficult in the slightest.

She laid out an Array and chanted a Spell, quickly summoning a massive swarm of insects that devoured the Ant Thieves' bodies, leaving nothing behind. Immediately after, Yue Tianchi procured some strong liquor, doused the entire reception hall, and set it ablaze, burning it completely to the ground.

When the villa's servants regained consciousness, all they saw were the ruined, crumbling walls of the burnt-out reception hall. They were completely unaware of what had truly transpired.

Zhao Yuan and the others blamed their injuries on the fire. Although some of the servants thought their wounds didn't look like burns, they didn't dare to question their employers, let alone spread rumors.

Since everyone was injured, and with Yue Tianchi's earnest insistence, the group stayed at the villa for two more days.

Thanks to the Blood Circulation Soup and other Healing Soup Medicines prescribed by Zhao Yuan, everyone's severe injuries were surprisingly more than halfway healed within those two days.

This greatly astonished Elder Shan, who couldn't stop sighing in admiration. "Young people these days are truly incredible!"

During these two days, Zhao Yuan also helped Yue Tianchi craft seven Storage Rings. Not only did he charge a ten-million-USD processing fee, but he also took many of the unused Qi-Containing Jades.

Even so, Yue Tianchi was deeply grateful. He felt that not only was Zhao Yuan's skill in Artifact Creation incredible, but his character was beyond reproach—he'd actually given him seven Storage Rings! You have to understand, Yue Tianchi's original hope was to get three or four, which he would have considered fantastic. The number of Storage Rings Zhao Yuan gave him was a full double of what he'd expected!

Elder Shan and Shan Han were visibly envious when they saw the Storage Rings, and they pulled Yue Tianchi aside, eager to buy some. In the end, Yue Tianchi sold two to them. Zhao Yuan didn't ask about the specific price, but it was clear that Elder Shan, Shan Han, and Yue Tianchi were all extremely satisfied with the deal they struck. Every one of them was grinning from ear to ear.

After trading the Purifying Qi Pills for the Thousand-Day Wine, Zhao Yuan and his two companions prepared to take their leave.

Before parting, they exchanged contact information with Yue Tianchi, Elder Shan, and Shan Han.

Elder Shan, in particular, was extremely reluctant to see Zhao Yuan leave. He held onto his arm, repeatedly reminding him to stay in touch. "Teacher Xiao Zhao, we absolutely must keep in close contact from now on! I have so many questions about the Alchemy Dao to ask you!"

If any other Pill Masters were to witness this scene, their jaws would surely hit the floor.

Who was Elder Shan? He was a senior veteran in the Alchemy Dao! A Great Alchemist who had been famous for ages! His status and standing in the world of alchemy were absolutely first-rate.

Yet this very Great God of the Alchemy Dao was calling a young, obscure upstart 'teacher' and repeatedly saying he needed to ask for his guidance!

This was simply too unbelievable!

If word of this moment got out, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar among Pill Masters, and perhaps even throughout the entire Cultivation Realm.

Zhao Yuan, the subject of this veneration, however, remained quite humble. He repeatedly waved his hands and said, "Elder Shan, please don't call me 'teacher.' I'm not worthy of such a title. You are a senior veteran of the Alchemy Dao; what qualifications could I possibly have to teach you? Let's just call it a mutual discussion for mutual improvement."

Elder Shan shook his head, his expression serious. "Teacher Xiao Zhao, there's no need to be humble. Your accomplishments in the Alchemy Dao are absolutely worthy of the word 'teacher'! Over these past two days, our so-called 'discussions' were, in reality, you teaching me. I may be old, but my mind is not yet addled."

As it turned out, Elder Shan had sought out Zhao Yuan to discuss the Alchemy Dao on more than one occasion over the past two days.

In truth, Zhao Yuan's personal understanding of the Alchemy Dao was nowhere near as extensive as Elder Shan's. His strength, however, lay in the massive cheat he possessed: the inheritance from Wu Peng. Whenever Elder Shan brought up a theory or an Alchemy method, the Information Leaf would immediately present a wealth of extremely detailed information on the topic. Its contents were far more profound and intricate than what Elder Shan had mastered. Consequently, whenever Zhao Yuan spoke, he would unerringly point out the most critical details, leaving Elder Shan both deeply shocked and thoroughly impressed.

This was also why Elder Shan was so astounded by Zhao Yuan, viewing him as a heaven-sent prodigy! He believed Zhao Yuan was a giant, rising star in the world of the Alchemy Dao.

Elder Shan's enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming for Zhao Yuan to handle. He could only thump his chest and promise to stay in frequent contact, which finally satisfied the old man.

"Farewell, everyone."

Zhao Yuan and his companions got into the Mercedes G55 SUV and waved goodbye to Yue Tianchi, Elder Shan, and Shan Han.

The three waved in response. "Goodbye! Let's keep in touch!"

The Bone Woman's injuries had improved significantly after two days of recuperation, and she was well enough to drive. She started the car and drove away from the villa.

Watching the SUV disappear in a cloud of dust, Shan Han glanced at Elder Shan and asked quietly, "Grandpa, is he really worthy of you holding him in such high regard?"

"Of course, he is!" Elder Shan nodded. "I am certain that in the future, the one who leads the world of Pill Masters will undoubtedly be Zhao Yuan!"